Well-production apparatus



1 April 26 927 F. B. VAUGHN ET AL WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS Filed Jan.29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April v26, 1927.

F. B. VAUGHN i1:1'A A1.

WELL PRODUCTI ON APPARATUS Filed Jan.29. 1925 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2BSK/Kimm.

` A TTORN E Y.

.Patented Apr. 26, 1927. i 'STATES TENT OFFICE.

FRED B. VAUGHN, F MAYWOOD, AND IDBIS THOMAS, yOF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

WELL-PRODUCTION APPARATUS.

Application filed January 29, 1925. Serial No. 5,464.l This inventionrelates to the production so as to rest upon the head and thus supportof oil and the like from a well, by dischargthe string. of tubing in thewell casing. @ing a jet of gaseous fluid under pressure up-Anti-frictional means shown as ball bearings wardly into the column ofliquid standing in 9, are provided between collar 8 and head 60 .5 thewell, in order to elevate the column of 4 to permit ready rotation ofthe collar so as liquid for discharge thereof at the ground .to turn thestring of tubing in the well cas-v level. lng for a purpose to behereinafter described.' lt is the object of the invention to regu- Thecolumn of oil elevated through the late the'jet in vaccordance withvariations in string of tubing is discharged through collar G5 i0 thepressure of the flow in the .well in order 8 into a pipe line 9a leadingto suitable storto obtain maximum production; and to proage means. A

vide a control for the regulating means lo- Oil enters the string oftubing in the well cated at the ground level, so that the jet in usualmanner (not shown), and stands submerged in the ycolumn of liquidin thetherein at the level of the oil in the bore of l5 well, may be readilyadjusted without pullthe well; and a jet foi elevating the oil in ingrthe well tubing. the. tubing is mounted therein at any ydesired lt is astill further object of the invention point below the normal oil level.to provide ya jet of maximum ei'iciency by As an instance of thisarrangement, a arranging the same for spiral discharge into length ofthe well tubing shown at 2a is pro- 75 the column of liquid in the well.vided with an interior shoulder 10 forming a lt is a still furtherobject of the invention restricted central orifice 11 for the passage toregulate the submerged jet by rotating the of oil upwardly therethrough.A plug 12 portion of the string of well tubing which is fixed to thelower end of tubing 2a by a extends upwardly therefrom to the groundthreaded connection 3, so as to space the plug level, said upper portionof the string of a short distance below orifice 11 and thus mechanism.

tubing resting upon the well casing with form an oil reservoir 14between the latter aiiti-frictional means preferably provided and theplug. The plug is provided with between the parts so that the string oftublongitudinal bores 13 for the passage of oil, ing may be 'readilyturned. and the parts are positioned in the well so 85 30 The inventionwill be readily understood that thenormal level of the oil is aboveorifrom the following description of the aclice 11, thereby filling thereservoir 14 and companying drawings, in which: submerging the plug 12.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through. the. The plug 12 forms a jet atits upper end bore of a well, showing the improved jet discharging intoreservoir 14, so as to elevate 90 the column of oil in the tubing 2 fordis- 'Fig 2 is a vertical section through the jet. charge thereofthrough pipe line 9a. The jet Figsi, 4, and 5 are transverse sections onis illustrated as comprising a central bore the lines 3-3, P4, and 5--5of Fig. 2. 15 in plug 12, tapering at its upper end to a Fig. 6 is aVview similar to Fig. 2 showing restricted orifice through which agaseous yo5 *i0 a modified form of the invention. fluid under pressureis discharged into reser- Figs. 7 and 8 are transverse sections on voir14. the lines 7-7 and 8-8 of Fig. 6L The gaseous fluid is preferably drygas Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the recovered from thel fiowfrom the Well in nozzle shown in Fig. 6. usual manner, and forceddownwardly im;

4;5 The invention is illustrated in connection through the annular'space I by a. compressor with a usual oil well construction including(not shown) connected to pipe 6. The anwell casing 1 and a string oftubing 2 exnular space is closed below the jet mechatending ydownwardlytherethrough with the nisin by a usual packer 17 between the tub--lengths of tubing connected by usual ing and casing of the weil, andthe compresm ies 5G threaded means 3. A. head 4 is mounted on sormaintains the gaseous fluid in the annu the well/casing at the derrickioor 5. anda lar space at the necessary pressure to elevate pipe 6communicates with thefhead for disthe column of oil in the we ll tubing.charge into the annular space '7 between the In the form of theinvention illustrated in casing and tubing. Figs. 1 to 5, the gaseousfluid is discharged ini rthe tubing 2 projects upwardly through throughthe restricted orifice of bore 15 which head 4, and a collar 8 is fixedon the tubing forms a nozzle 1G. The gaseous tiuid is sup lll plied tothe bore through radial bores 18 1n plug 12, the bores 18 communicatingat their outer ends with annular space 7. and inclining upwardl towardtheir inner ends which open into t e tapering upper end of bore 15adjacent discharge nozzle 16.

'llhe discharge ot" the gaseous duid through the restricted orifice otthe jet is adjusted from the derrick door without the necessity ofpulling the tubing from the well. For this purpose a needle valve 19 ismounted in bore 15 with its tapering end extending through the taperingend of the bore, so that vertical adjustment oit plug 12 relative to theneedle valve will vary the discharge through nozzle 16.

The plug 12 may be vertically adjusted by means of a threaded connection2O between the exterior of the lower portion ot said plug andtheinterior ot the upper portion ot a barrel 21 forming the next lowerlength ot the string ot' tubing 2. Barrel 21 is fixed to the lowerportion ot the string of tubing in the well by a threaded connection 3,and packing 17 is adapted to hold said barrel and the lower portion ofthe string of tubing against rotation in the well casing, while theupper portion of the string of tubing and the plug 12 connected theretoare adapted to be turned in the well casing, so as to vertically adjustthe plug through threaded connection 20.

'lihe needle valve 19 is mounted on the stationary barrel 21, so thatvertical adjustment ot plug 12 relative to said barrel will vary thedischarge through orifice 16 of the jet, and the plug and upper portionof the string of tubing connected thereto, are rotated for verticallyadjusting the pluO', b turning collar 8 at the derrick door. @ra nations22 cooperate with collar 8 to indicate the vertical adjustment of plug12, and the connection is of relatively coarse threads so that the plugmay be appreciably vertically adjusted by relatively slight turning ofthe collar.

The mounting for needle valve 19 on the stationary barrel, may comprisea transverse partition 23 in said barrel in spaced relation below plug12, with the lower end of the needle valve stem threaded through saidpartition, and a Shoulder 24 on the valve.

stem clamped against the partition by a nut 25 threaded on the lower endof the valve stem.

Longitudinal bores 26 4for the free passage of oil, extend throughpartition 23, the spacing of said partition below plug 12 providing anunobstructed passageway irrespective of the alinement of bores 13 and26.

In order to limit the vertical adjustment of plug 12 relative to barrel21, a shoulder 27 on the plug is adapted to abut against the upper endof the barrel so as to prevent wedging of the needle valve in bore 15when renacer the plug is lowered; and a collar 28 threaded on the lowerend of plug 12 is received in an annular groove 29 in barrel 21, so asto abut against a shoulder 30 at the top of said groove and thus preventdisengagement ot threaded connection 20 when the plug Y is elevated.

The parts are assembled with collar 2S removed from plug 12, and inorder to permit insertion of said collar in the groove 29, oppositesides of the collar may be cut away as shown at 31, so that by tiltingthe collar to vertical position with its cut away sides parallel to thebore of barrel 21, the'collar may be inserted in the barrel and thenturned back to horizontal position in groove 29.

Plug 12 is then threaded into barrel 21 so that tinal rotation of saidplug will thread the same into collar 28; and the parts are preferablyiixed in assembled relation by a screw 32 threaded through the collarand into the plug, the screw being placed in position through anaperture in barrel 21 which may be subsequently closed by welding or thelike as shown at 33.

' lin order to obtain maximum ecienc of the jet discharging into thecolumn ot:y oil in the well tubing, the tapering end ot" needle valve 19maybe spirally grooved as shown at 34, so as to form a. whirling jet.

A leak-proof joint is preferably provided between the stem of needlevalve 19 and the lower end ot the bore 15, by means of a studing boxcomprising annular packing and a follower 36. j

lin Figs. 6 to 9 wel have shown a, modified means for adjusting thedischarge of gaseous tluid through the nozzle formed in plug 12. 1n thisconstruction the tapering end of the central bore 15 terminates in anozzle 16 forming a shoulder 40 at the upper end ot the bore. A-stem 19ahaving a bore d1 extending therethrou h is slidable in the nontaperingportion o bore 15, and is threaded into a central recess 42 formed inpartition 23,with a shoulder 24a of the stem abutting against thepartition so as to space'the end of the stem from the base of recess 42.

Radial bores 18, in' lieu of the bores 18 previously described, extendthrough partition 23 between the longitudinal bores 26, and open attheir outer ends to the annular space 7 above packer 17. The inner endsof bores 18B' incline upwardly and open into recess/12 below stem 19, sothat the aseous fluid under pressure in space 7 is disc arged upwardlythrough the bore 41 of the stem. A spring strip coiled to form a hollowspring cone, is mounted in the tapering end v of bore 15, with its upperend. abutting against shoulder 40 and its lower end extending around andsecured to a neck at the end of stem 19* as shown at 45.- The cone thusforms 'a nozzle tapering to a restricted orice at its upper end, andadapted for llo discharge of the gaseous fluid from bore 41 through thenozzle 16, and into the reservoir 14 for elevating the column of oil inthe tubingu as previously described.

The discharge orifice of cone 43 is adj usted by vertical movement ofplug 12, which is raised and lowered by rotation of collar 8 aspreviously described. When the plug 12 is at its upper limit of movementthe discharge orifice of the cone is expanded to its'full size asdetermined by the bore 15, and when the plug is lowered the spring coneis longitudinally contracted so as to restrictthe discharge orifice ofthe same. The discharge of gaseous fluid through the jet and into the`column of oil in the well tubing is thus adjusted from the derrickfloor Without the necessity of pulling the Well tubing.

lVe claim:

l. A well construction including tubing in the bore. of the well, a jetsubmerged 1nl the liquid in the lower portion of said tubing and adaptedfor'elevation of said liquid by discharge of fluidy under pressurethrough a restricted orifice and into said liquid, and.

means for adjusting said orifice of the submerged jet by turning saidtubing at the top of the well.

2. A well construction including casing in the bore of the well, tubinin said casing rotatably supported 'there y, a jet submerged in theliquid in the lower portion of said tubing, means for forcing fiuiddownwardly between said casing and tubing and thence upwardly through arestricted orifice of said )et and into said li uid, and means foradjusting said orifice o the submerged jet by turmng the tubing relativeto the casing.

3. A well construction including tubing in the bore of the well, a plugfixed to said tubing and forming a nozzle submerged in the liquid in thetubino, means for forcing fluid through said nozza and into the liquidfor elevating said liquid in the tubing, a

valve cooperating with said nozzle and fixed to the portion of thetubing below said plug, and means for rotating the plug and the portionof the tubing above the saine relative to said valve and the portion ofthe tubing below the plug, said relative rotation' moving the nozzle andvalve relative to one another so as to adjust the discharge orifice ofsaid nozzle. Y

4. A well construction including well casing, tubing in said casingradially spaced therefrom, a section of said tubing having an interiorannular shoulder forming a restricted central opening, a lower sectionof said tubing forming a plug extending across the tubing, said plugbeing spaced slightly below said shoulder and having a central bore anda longitudinal opening extending therethrough, the upper end of saidcentral bore tapering to a restricted discharge orifice, and saidcentral bore having a transverse bore communicating therewith andopening to the annular space between the well casing and tubing.A 5. Awell construction including well tubing, a plug forming a section ofsaid tubingV and extending across the same, said plug being connected tothe portion of the string of tubing which extends upwardly therefrom andhaving threaded engagement with the string of tubing depending therefromso that turning of the upper portion of the string of tubing will raiseand lower the plug relative to the lower portion of the string oftubing, said plug having a central bore and a longitudinal openingextending therethrough, the upper endof said ,cen-- tral bore taperingto a restricted discharge orifice, said central bore having a transversebore communicating therewith and opening through the well tubing, a stemfixed to the lower portion of the string of tubing and ex tending intothe central bore so as to close the lower end thereof, and valvularmeans associated with said stem and mounted in the tapering end of thecentral bore so that raising and lowering of said plug will regulate thedischarge orifice of the central bore. 6. A well construction includingtubing adapted to extend into the liquid in a well, a jet having meansfor spirally discharging a fluid into the tubing below the liquid level,

and a restriction in the bore of the tubing below the liquid level andspaced slightly above the jet.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures to thisspecification.

FRED B. VAUGHN. IDRIS THOMAS.

